Chinese government workers have a lot to worry about these days. Cash-strapped local governments are struggling to pay their salaries. Political controls are tightening in the name of national security. A yearslong anti-corruption purge shows no sign of ending.

       Now, the workers also have to make sure not to get slapped with a “Snail Award” — a designation that more localities are rolling out to shame their lowest-performing employees.

       “Through this sarcastic ‘encouragement,’ the awardees can blush and sweat and refresh their minds,” read one commentary on a Communist Party-affiliated website, noting that they had hurt the party and the government’s credibility by just “getting by.”

       Perhaps now more than ever, the Chinese government cannot afford to have its officials slacking off. As economic growth slows, it needs leaders to introduce new projects, attract investors and inspire ordinary people — in essence, unleash the dynamism that powered China’s rise.

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       But many officials seem unmotivated, if not outright afraid to act. Under China’s hard-line leader, Xi Jinping, the state has cracked down on various sectors, from internet companies to private-tutoring firms to finance. It has become impossible to guess what might be next in line. Any policy that deviates from the central government’s could be seen as politically disloyal.

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       The Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s desire for a larger presence of the government in people’s everyday life often further burdens already overworked civil servants.Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

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